Gotta Start Somewhere: Ludacris' teenage talent-show loss
The man can change his age just by rapping about it.
No matter how successful entertainers become, they'll inevitably always remember the first gig—whether it was disastrous, wonderful, or absurdly strange. Gotta Start Somewhere embraces these nostalgic moments by asking established entertainers to retell the first time they ever graced a stage. In this edition, The A.V. Club caught up with Champaign, Ill.-born rapper Ludacris before he shares a bill with the Black Eyed Peas tonight at the Bradley Center.
Ludacris: I’ve been rapping since I was 9 years old, so my actual first show? I was about 13 years old. It was like a talent showcase. I was in a group with two other guys. The talent showcase was at a bar, which was obviously for adults, but we were able to perform I guess as a favor for one of the club owners. So long story short, I was only 13, performing in front of grown-ups. I had a lot of energy. And from there, I already knew what I wanted to do when I was 9, but my first performance was invigorating to say the least.
You know, I was like 13. I had a little skinny chest. But I was so energetic and so hyped that I came up out of my shirt. I was just performing as if I was LL Cool J and everything. There was a lot of energy, man, and it’s pretty much still that same way to this day. What I brought from that was just loving being onstage.
The A.V. Club: What was the name of your group?
L: The Loudmouthed Hooligans, if you can believe that.
AVC: How did you guys pick that name?
L: It’s similar to [my management company] Disturbing Tha Peace, which I came up with years later, but just because we were so rowdy. We were like little rowdy guys, just having a lot of fun.
AVC: So you guys had fun, but did you win the talent show?
L: No, we didn’t win that talent showcase, but I was in a lot of other ones where eventually we did. Also, when you put rap in the same category as dancing and singing and stuff, it’s not necessarily fair. I was just happy that I was able to get up there and showcase my efforts. We only did two songs. I honestly don’t remember exactly what two songs. They were like, “Look at these cute kids onstage doing what they’re doing!”
AVC: If you don’t remember those songs, what sort of stuff did you rap about when you were that age?
L: My first song when I was 9 was called “I’m Cool, I’m Bad, I Might Be Ten, But I Can’t Survive Without My Girlfriend.” I had to lie and say I was 10 just to rhyme with “girlfriend,” but then when I did turn 10, I could rap it with the utmost confidence.
